The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for use in giving a person a french manicure. More particularly, in one embodiment, a flexible mask is clamped to the finger for preventing the seepage of nail polish to the masked portion of the fingernail. Although the present invention was developed for use in the care of fingernails, certain applications may be outside this field.
The covering of fingernails with nail polish is well known. One of the methods used to care for fingernails is a french manicure. A french manicure accentuates the ends of the fingernails by applying an opaque polish (usually white) to the tip of the nail. The conventional french manicure may be applied either straight across the nail or curved in a manner that follows the end of the fingernail. Thereafter, a different color nail polish is typically applied over all or a portion of the opaque polish.
One method to obtain a french manicure is to employ a highly skilled manicurist. A highly skilled manicurist is required because not all manicurists are capable of applying the polish along a uniform line at the exact location. Even the most expensive manicures applied by professional manicurists do not always produce uniform results among each of the fingernails. The result is that all of the fingers are not uniform with each other, and even the shape of each individual finger is unsatisfactory. It may then become necessary to remove the polish at the tip, and apply a new french manicure or a conventional manicure.
In an attempt to address some of these problems, masking devices have been developed over the years to assist in the uniform application of nail polish, with a particular focus on the problems associated with french manicures. However, many masking devices have not been effective at addressing the problems known in the art, and in certain situations have presented additional problems. One common limitation is that the masking devices may not be readily adaptable to the shape of the finger. As a result, the nail polish is able to run under the mask and create a non-uniform appearance on the nail when the mask is removed. Another common limitation is that the masks do not readily conform to the differences between fingers in terms of the size and geometric profile, thereby limiting the ability to reuse the mask. This adds to the expense of preparing nails with a manicure. Further, many of the prior art masks are clumsy and awkward to handle, particularly for those who are self-applying the manicure. These are just a couple of the limitations associated with existing masking devices.
Although the prior techniques utilizing masks for use in giving a french manicure are steps in the right direction, the need for additional improvement still remains. The present invention satisfies this need in a novel and unobvious way.